Toilet bowl disinfectant injector



INVENTOR RUSSELL A NDERSO/V ATTORNEY April 9, 1963 R. ANDERSON TOILETBOWL DISINFECTANT INJECTOR Filed Oct. 21, 1960 United States Patent 3,-84,350 TQELET BUWL DISINFECTANT INJESTGR Russell Anderson, Eon 135,Scranton, Pa. Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,984 1 Claim. (Cl. 4--225)This invention relates to flush tanks of the type generally used ontoilet bowls and consists more particularly in new and usefulimprovements in a device for automatically injecting a predeterminedquantity of a chemical disinfectant or deodorant into the toilet bowl atthe conclusion of each flushing operation.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a toilet bowldisinfecting device which is extremely simple in construction and onewhich can be used with conventional toilet equipment without requiringmajor altera tions therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is completely housed within the conventional flush tank, yet iseasily accessible by simply removing the lid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toilet bowldisinfecting device which is truly automatic in operation and is capableof adjustment to regulate the amount of disinfectant injected into thetoilet bowl.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel featuresherein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designatesimilar parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a flush tank equipped with thedisinfectant injecting device of the present invention, the lid of theflush tank being omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2. of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the auxiliary disinfectantcontainer and control valve.

In the drawings, 5 generally represents a conventional flush tankmounted adjacent a toilet bowl 6, partially shown in FIGURE 2 and havingthe usual flushing outlet valve 7 which discharges from the tank 5 intothe bowl 6 through an extension 8. The valve 7 is closed by aconventional bulb 9 carried at the lower end of a vertically shiftablerod 10, actuated in the usual manner by a handle 11 connected thereto bya connecting rod 12. An overflow pipe 13 or" conventional form isassociated with the outlet valve assembly 7. A water inlet pipe 14(FIG. 1) is equipped with the usual valve 15 which is controlled byfloat assembly 16 connected thereto by rod 17.

The chemical disinfectant reservoir of the present invention ispreferably formed as an auxiliary compartment 18 integrated wtih themain flush tank 5. This reservoir 13 is disposed adjacent the rear wallof the tank 5 and extends from end to end thereof, having a bottom 19which preferably slopes from its boundaries to a centrally locateddischarge valve 20.

The valve 29 is connected to a conduit 21 discharging into the openupper end of the overflow pipe 13 which communicates with the bowl 6 inthe conventional manner, the discharge end of conduit 21 being disposedalongside of the usual refill tube 15a, leading from inlet valve 15. Adisinfectant discharge valve body 22 opens and closes the valve and iscarried at the lower end of an actuating stem 23 which is pivotallymounted at 24 on a rocker arm 25 which, in turn, is pivotally supportedat 26 on a vertical bracket 27, rigidly fastened by anv suitable meansas at 28, to the front wall of the reservoir 3,34,350 Patented Apr. 9,1953 18. The opposite end of the rocker arm 25 is pivoted as at 29 tothe upper end of an auxiliary float rod 30, the lower end of whichcarries an auxiliary float ball 31 disposed adjacent the bottom of theflush tank 5 and normally below the liquid level therein. The verticalposition of the rod 30 is maintained by a guide arm 32 connected to theupper end of the conduit 21.

In order to insure the proper seating of the valve body 22, I preferablyprovide an annular guide ring 22a which bounds the seat of valve 20 in avertical position and may be provided with a series of radial inletports 22b to facilitate the passage of disinfectant from the reservoir18 to and through the valve 20.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the lower end of the rod 30 is threaded and bymeans of lock nuts 34 and 35, the float ball 31 is vertically adjustableon the rod 30 so that its relative position with respect to the lowestlevel of water in the flush tank 5 may be adjusted to regulate both thetime of operation ofthe disinfectant discharge valve 2il-22 and theextent of opening thereof, as will later appear. Also, as a furthermeans of adjustment, the valve stem 23 is threaded at both ends as at 36and 37 to regulate the degree of opening and closing of the valve2tl--2Z.

In order to limit the downward movement of the rod 30 and float ball 31,I preferably provide a collar 30a which is adjustably secured to the rod30 by a set screw or the like and is adapted to abut a fixed collar 32aattached to the guide arm 32, and slidably embracing the shaft 30.

In operation, the reservoir 18 is filled with a desired chemicaldeodorant or disinfectant and under normal conditions, the water in theflush tank 5 is at the upper level X below the top of the overflow pipe13, and the discharge valve 7-9 is closed. Under these conditions, thebuoyancy of the auxiliary float ball 31 maintains the latter in itsupper position shown in dotted lines in FIG- URE 2, thus having rockedarm 25 in clockwise direction to maintain the disinfectant dischargevalve 2tl-22 in closed position, preventing any discharge ofdisinfectant from the reservoir 18. Upon flushing the bowl by opcratingthe handle 11 in the conventional manner, the discharge valve 7'9 isopened to permit the discharge of the water from the flush tank 5through the connection 8 into the bowl 6, whereupon the main floatassembly 16 drops until the bulb 9 has seated itself in the valve 7 topermit the building up of a water level in the tank 5.

During the flushing operation, the auxiliary float ball 31 remains inelevated position with the valve 2022 closed until the water levelreaches its lower limit Y, whereupon the float ball 31 drops to'itslowest position shown in full lines, rocking the arm 25 incounterclockwise direction to lift the valve body 22 from its seat 20.The opening of this valve 20-22 permits disinfectant to flow from thereservoir 13 through conduit 21 from which it is discharged into theoverflow tube 13. As soon as the water level rises in tank 5, theelevation of the ball 31 and rod 30 again rocks the rocker arm 25 inclockwise direction to close the valve 29-42, thereby preventing anyfurther discharge of disinfectant into the bowl.

It will be understood that the refill tube 15a feeds water into the bowl6 through the bypass or overflow tube 13 to the lip of the trap in thebowl. Valve is closed as the disinfectant is entering the bowl throughthe overflow tube 13. The disinfectant stays on top of the water in thebowl. Thus, when the next flush takes place, this disinfectant on thewater swirls, cleansing the bowl. The refill tube 15a washes thedisinfectant into the bowl through the overflow tube 13.

It will thus be seen that by adjusting the vertical position of the ball31 on the lower end of the rod 30 and adjusting the position of thevalve body 22 on the stem 23 in the reservoir 18, a very accurateregulation of the time and extent of operation of the auxiliary valvebody 22 can be maintained. In other words, the vertical position of theball31 with respect tothe lower-level Y of the water in the flush tank5, determines when the auxiliary valve body 22 opens and the length ofits discharge period. Also, said adjustment of the vertical position of,the float ball 31, together with the adjustment of the valve body 22 onthe stem 23, determines the extent of opening of the valve body 22withrespect to the valve seat 20.

By regulating the operation of the disinfectant discharge so that itwill not function until the completion of the flushing operation,disinfectant is not introduced into the bowl until after the flush tankhas been emptied so that disinfectant is not wasted. Furthermore, by themeans of adjustment previously described, the amount of disinfectantinjected may be adjusted from a quantity of A2 ounce to 1 ounce,depending upon the desire of the I operator.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the artwithout furtherdescription, itbeing bornein mind that numerous changes may be made in the detailsdisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as setforth in the following claim.

I claim:

In a toilet flush tank and bowl assembly including a main tank having amanually controlled flushing valve leading to a toilet bowl and definingthe lowermostlimit of the liquid level in said tank, a water inlet valvein said tank, a main float for controlling said inlet valve and definingthe uppermost limit of the liquid level in said tmk, and an overflowtube from said tank to said bowl having its inlet opening normallydisposed above said upper limit; a disinfectant injection system fordepositing a quantity of disinfectant on topof the water in said bowl atthe conclusion of each flushing operation, said system comprising adisinfectant reservoir in said tank, a conduit leading from saidreservoir to the inlet opening of said overflow tube, a discharge valvecontrolling the flow of disinfectant through said conduit, a rocker armpivotally connected to said discharge valve at one end, an actuating rodpivotally connected to the opposite end of said rocker arm and dependingvertically in said tank to a point in relatively close proximity to saidlower liquid level limit, an auxiliary float fixed to the lower end ofsaid actuating rod, normally lying below the liquid level in said tankand thereby normally under a sustained upward force of buoymcy tomaintain said discharge valve in closed position, said auxiliary floatbeing responsive to the drop of the liquid level in said tank to saidlowermost limit, solely at the conclusion of the flushing thereof andafter the closing of said flush valve to open said disinfectantdischarge valve for activating said injection system, and at theinception of the refilling. of said tank to close said disinfectantdischarge valve, and means on said actuating rod for adjusting theposition of said auxiliary float thereon for regulating the start ofdescent of said rod and auxiliary float with respect to the level of theliquid in said tank, and for regulating the timing of the activation ofsaid auxiliary float upon the rise of the liquid level during therefilling :of said tank, to thereby control the timing of the closing ofsaid disinfectant discharge valve and the volume of disinfectantdischarged into said bowl.

References Cited in the file of this'patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS294,327 'Nobes Feb. 26, 1884 633,390 Schell Sept. 19, 1899 1,220,398 Coxet a1 Mar. 27, 1917 2,243,454 Collinge et al May 27, 1941 2,504,309Donovan Apr. 18, 1950 2,736,039 Majo Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS137,996 Great Britain Jan. 29, 1920 312,420 Great Britain May 20, 1929

